Strengthening Authentic Assessment of Social Work Practice in a Climate of Economic Accountability...
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Strengthening Authentic Assessment of Social Work Practice in a Climate of Economic Accountability Denise E. Dedman Susanne Chandler Kathleen Woehrle July 11, 2012 Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development: Action and Impact Stockholm, Sweden Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
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Transcript of Strengthening Authentic Assessment of Social Work Practice in a Climate of Economic Accountability...
Strengthening Authentic Assessment of Social Work Practice in a Climate of
Economic Accountability
Denise E. DedmanSusanne ChandlerKathleen Woehrle
July 11, 2012Joint World Conference on Social Work and
Social Development: Action and Impact
Stockholm, Sweden
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Weissman, 1983
• 1960s- increasing responsiveness to clients & direct workers
• 1970s- bottom-up strategies likely to be inefficient
–More efficiency, less effectiveness
–More control, less support
• 1980s- concern that accountability decreases service
–Adversarial relationship with fundersDedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Curvilinear nature of accountability
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Weissman
• Implications
–All stakeholders have a voice (openness)
–True accountability assists workers in obtaining best, realistic, outcomes
–Rewards and costs weighted toward effectiveness
–Fair criteria related to varying goals vs single measurement
Dedman – Social Work Dept.
Johnson, Rochkind, & DuPont, 2011
• Attempts at accountability are perceived by the public as “complicated and perhaps marginally informative” and may cause the public to become more distanced and negative about the institution.
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
How does that happen?
Funders/leaders•Efficiency •Quantitative data on targets;•Performance of individuals within institutions;•Faith in numbers•Disclosure/transparency via massive reporting
Public•Effectiveness •Qualitative data on interactions;•Individuals behaving thoughtfully & responsibly;•Concern that numbers are manipulated;•Confusion at piles of data, multiple reports/perspectives
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Authentic accountability
• What are our purposes?
–Problem solving
–Human relationships
–Social change/empowerment
• How might this be measured?
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
How might this be measured?
• Problem solving
–Chronic crisis
• Human relationships
–Facebook dinner table
• Social change/empowerment
–Transformational social control
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Contact:
Denise E. Dedman, Ph.D., LMSW– Assistant professor
University of Michigan-Flint303 E. KearsleyFlint, MI [email protected]
Kathleen Woehrle, Ph.D., MSW– Associate professor
University of Michigan-Flint303 E. KearsleyFlint, MI [email protected]
Collins & Dedman, 2012
Dedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
Koppell, 2005
Public administration literature
Typology of accountability:
• transparency
• liability
• controllability
• responsibility
• responsivenessDedman & Woehrle, July 11, 2012
